In announcing Kingsbury's return for next season, Hocutt was also very complimentary of the improvements defensive coordinator David Gibbs made for the Texas Tech defense during the 2016 season. With Saturday's win against the Longhorns, the Red Raiders finished the 2016 regular season with a (6-6, 3-6) record. Texas Tech is the eighth Big 12 Conference team to become eligible for a bowl game.